Beneath the Surface
by YaoiLord
Summary: On the surface, Loki is Loki, and Thor is Thor. Underneath, they're both more than what they seem. Post-Ragnarok. Thorki pre-slash.
1. On the subject of ruling

this chapter is because of the elevator scene conversation between Thor & Loki. how i linked that with this, i don't know either. possible spoilers, you've been warned.

enjoy

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Thor glanced surreptitiously from the paper he was reading, his remaining eye finding his brother on the other side of the makeshift office of the ship that used to function as a storage room before. For numerous times within the past hour, his gaze kept finding Loki who appeared deeply occupied with the parchment he has been writing on and reading from, completely missing Thor's glances.

At least, Thor thought he was being secretive about them.

"What is it?" Loki asked flat out, getting tired of his brother's attempt on trying to be sneaky.

"Nothing," Thor answered, almost begrudgingly after getting caught.

"You wouldn't stare at me like that if you don't have something in mind." Loki looked at him sharply. "Is this about the leaking pipes?"

"What leaking pipes?"

The trickster shrugged. "Something _not_ a prank of mine, I assure you."

Except that whenever Loki assured him, he definitely meant the other way around. Typical of his brother. Thor decided to let it slide. For now. "What are you doing?"

"Drafting possible policies you might want to implement while we're in this ship," he stated. "We're not exactly vast in number, but the population is composed of multiple races. Sooner or later, our people will be divided when conflicting parties rise up. We don't want that to happen." Loki pulled out another sheet of paper from the book it was tucked in, showing it to Thor. "And this one has the list of potential allies you might want to get ahold of and make peace treaties with once we get a land. It's a good impression that we appear independent, but us and our people are back to starting level. We need any help and allies we can get."

Thor stared at Loki, as if critically figuring out his brother through silent inquisitiveness.

The latter cleared his throat. "I mean, _your_ people."

"They're as much as yours as they are mine." Thor gave him a half smile, eyebrows shooting up in mild amusement. "You're good at this."

He recalled the way Loki herded the occupants of the ship—the Asgardians and some of Sakaar's people who joined them—to a foreign planet they landed to gather supplies and provisions that should last for a month, purchasing them through the few wealth the people scrapped together, and Brunnhilde's charity. But the most effective way was Loki's brilliance in negotiating prices and knowledge of the market. What was supposed to be only for the month became applicable for up to three.

Which brought Thor back to his puzzlement. Loki caught the slight frown, lips tugging to a slight smirk at the interpretation of it.

"You're curious why I'm good at this when I've been terrible as Odin," Loki said, as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Terrible is not the word I would use. Neglectful, maybe."

"Which made me a terrible ruler," Loki pointed out. He turned to Thor fully, making room for the settee for his brother to sit on. "Does it ever occur to you that maybe Odin is not the kind of ruler I wanted to be?"

"Maybe not," Thor relented. "But he did make a good example."

Odin, for all his faults as a father, was a successful leader, which Loki never denied as he hummed in agreement. "Though it doesn't mean that his ways alone are the right ways to rule. Rulers vary with their own distinct traits of leadership."

"And how do you plan to be?"

The question was hanging on the air, with Loki taking his time to answer. Thor observed him playing with the edge of the paper on hand.

"This is enough," Loki admitted, almost inaudible if not for the proximity. "Don't you think?"

Thor was familiar with his brother's way of avoiding answering questions. "Do you remember when we were children, when father said that there's only one of us who can ascend the throne, but we're both born to be kings?"

"And you feel like you're living it now as if some kind of prophecy," Loki finished for him with indifference.

Thor surprised him by laughing. "Of course not, brother. I think that's impossible now. No throne and no kingdom." His expression turned soft, fonder in nature. "What I want to say is that king or no, there's no other place I'd rather be now. Especially if it meant you being on my side. Us, ruling together after the end of Asgard despite… these past years."

Loki stifled his amusement, but there was a note of agreement.

"And I'd like to keep it that way for the years to come. If you would allow it?"

Loki pursed his lips at the earnest expression. He would have to teach his oaf of a brother on toning the benevolence down (Loki suspected it was because of Thor's predecessor), and perhaps reconsider his way of easily forgiving the likes of Loki, because he wasn't the worst of them yet. Thor still has a lot to learn.

"We won't be having this conversation now if I plan on bailing." Not when his brother was a novice in this particular field. It was a different kind of purpose, but definitely more worthwhile than planning domination or bringing Midgardians on their knees (even now he internally blames it on the scepter for convoluting his ideals). It would be like before, where he was more learned of the subject and would simplify it for Thor, who would deem him a better instructor than their tutors.

The familiarity of their current setup was astounding. Perhaps within the premises of each other, things hardly changed at all, while the outside come and go figuratively and literally. By the end of the day, they would share their experiences and would sleep the night away as Loki and Thor, brothers.

Loki secretly likes the simplicity of it.

"And I suppose I'll know by now whether I'm talking to an illusion," Thor replied good-naturedly, giving Loki a rather hard smack on the back, assuring him that he was real. But if he was to be honest, he preferred giving him a hug. It was more _reassuring_ , so to speak. The trickster seemed to have an idea what was going on in Thor's mind, rolling his eyes at the absurdity (for him) of it.

"Oh, you will not. Next time."

Thor matched the smirk with a grin that made him look decades younger. "Surprise me."

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 **TBC**

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thanks, i guess


	2. Of thunder and frost

enjoy

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Thor found his palms often warm and surging with light electricity since he lost his hammer.

It wasn't inconvenient per se, but there has been complains on how he gave unintentional mild shocks when clapping some people on the shoulder (Banner and Korg, in which the latter surprised Thor greatly since he didn't know that, erm, rocks could feel electricity). Brunnhilde would send him an annoyed look when he tended to _get familiar_ with her with the occasional arm touching with also some minor shocks.

Thor couldn't help it.

In justification, he was merely thinking that since the thunder was innate, it has a mind of its own and has its own way of sending its affection to people important to him.

Which made it all the more baffling when it doesn't have the same effect to his brother. He wondered if maybe Loki was simply hiding his flinches well, or considered it as Thor's way of punishment for the incidents he caused that he gladly accepted the electric shocks.

It was saddening to think of it that way.

Thor confronted him one time, wasn't expecting honesty straight right away, but was taken aback at the genuine confusion that painted Loki's features.

"You don't feel it?"

"I know nothing of what you're talking about." Loki walked in front of him. "You're saying everybody else feels it, but not me?"

Thor nodded, opening his palms and noticed the light spark dancing on his skin. Loki seemed curious at the sight, green eyes following the trail of electric white-blue that went to the tips of Thor's fingers.

"May I?"

Thor wasn't aware of what Loki was asking permission for; Loki took his silence as a yes. Pale hands covered his, and then there was a sizzle on both of Thor's hands. Consequently, the typical excessive warmth of his skin decreased to normal, hands gradually cooling down.

At the same time, Loki's hands turned blue, the hue creeping from his fingers and spreading to his forearms until Thor heard him exhaled sharply, snatching his hands back. Thor almost missed how red eyes turned back to green, and suddenly, Loki looked every bit of an Asgardian again.

"That should explain it." Loki hesitated before composing himself and turning to leave.

"Wait." Thor amended, "Stay. Please." He waited until his brother faced him fully with a mask of indifference. "You know that I know."

"It seems like you do if you're not too surprised having a Jotun on your family," Loki sneered.

"That doesn't make it any less you." He regarded the other's stance—guarded and insecure. So uncharacteristic of his confident and self-assured brother.

"You'll take back what you said once you realized that I may not be as monstrously as large as most of my kind, but still of the same race as those barbarians we grew up knowing as monsters. I am them one of them, Thor."

"If you're as hideous and as terrible as you said," Thor began. "Then show me and I'll be the judge of that," he told him, firm and unjudging. He offered his open palms once again, quietly waiting.

Knowing how stubborn Thor could get, Loki merely sighed in defeat. He supposed they could both get over with, the issue finally out of the way, whether it would strain their relationship or not. Their hands touched lightly, the hue of Jotunheim sea painted Loki's skin once again, reaching his arms and spreading to head and to toe.

Blood red eyes looked back at Thor's open stare. Intricate eddying of markings adorned Loki's tight jaw and other uncovered parts of him. It was Thor's first time witnessing him on his real form, and it made Loki unbalanced. His insides were contorting at the unfavorable feeling, instincts screaming to put back his glamour and vanish from Thor's sight. Perhaps for good, because no matter what he said, Thor would be eating his words sooner than expected.

"Oh, Loki."

And just like that, he was pulled to his brother with gentle force, strong arms wrapping around Loki with familiarity while his own were limp on his sides.

But damn if Loki would deny himself of this.

And Thor, _by the Norns_ , he understood it now. How he unknowingly hurt Loki through unkind words of obliterating the whole race of frost giants. His chest clenched at the thought of his declaration running inside Loki's mind the moment he found out about his origin.

He cradled Loki's neck, pushing back the ink black hair aside. "I'm sorry," Thor murmured. Hel, he was years late, but he wanted the apology to count at the very least.

Loki laughed humorlessly. "We're way past apologies, brother." Nonetheless, he leaned to the touch, eyes closing.

It dawned to Thor that this was the kind of acceptance Loki was seeking. And Thor was more than willing to provide him. His mouth found his temple, pressing a kiss on the spot—a gesture that used to be common as children.

Though there was something completely intimate at the shared moment, of fingers linked together with frost and thunder superficially fluttering together.

And maybe, just maybe, there was a room where more could grow; special beyond kinship and as deep as family.

But for now, Thor sighed in satisfaction at the arms embracing him back with surety.

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 **TBC**

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thanks for the read


	3. Home

Let's pretend the last part of the post-credit scene never happened.

Final chap. Enjoy.

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Thor found Loki on the podium serenely looking at the cosmos and its bright stars and constellations.

Thor slid on the space beside him without a word, eye darting to the sight. He was sure that Loki was seeing more than what he could see, always looking at the bigger picture than Thor could, even when he still had both of his eyes.

Thor is simple—when he sees something to behold, his focus would be on that alone.

He took in Loki's calm expression, making his features more lax, unguarded. Thor was thinking that he also likes this comfortable silence between them, the needlessness of words and simply the company of each other.

Thor curled his hand on Loki's, lacing their fingers together. The latter didn't seem to mind one bit, lips tugged into a small smile on the corners. At the whole duration, Thor's thumb was brushing on the cool skin he could reach.

"I thought you're the type to jump head-on," Loki said lightly, fully aware of the reason Thor came to see him.

"I still am," Thor admitted. "But not without your permission."

Green eyes went alight with amusement, but fond when they connected with blue. "Shut up and kiss me."

When their lips met, Thor couldn't help but think that he's finally home.

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 **THE END**

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thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows. Love you lots. Until next time.


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